


Uniform Grey

by fizzfooz



Series: Steps [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Enemies to Friends, M/M, Noct has an (unrequited) crush on Luna, Smut, Some Plot, Threesome - M/M/M, enemies to fuckbuddies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 16:25:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18695092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fizzfooz/pseuds/fizzfooz
Summary: AU where the Tenebraen army defects to Lucis.This is a direct sequel to All the King's Men but should still make sense as a standalone. The title isn't misspelled, by the way. I'm just British.





	Uniform Grey

Ignis' phone really had no business squawking at him at 03:02. Especially when he'd only retired at 01:00. He seized it, expecting a nudge from Gladio to check his _other_ phone. The burner phone that they could exchange messages of a more... intimate... nature on. Something Gladio kept doing despite how many times Ignis told him not to disturb him between the hours of 23:00 and 05:00. Gladio insisted that his 'horny hours' couldn't be regulated.

Ignis snapped awake as his gaze focused on the screen. It wasn't Gladio. It was an urgent summons from the king calling him to the crownsguard training room.

###

Ignis dressed in such a hurry that he was still buttoning up the cuffs of his shirt when he arrived. Clarus opened the main doors just a slit, one narrowed eye inspecting Ignis. When he'd satisfied himself that Ignis was alone, he opened it just wide enough to allow Ignis to enter. All of the high council were there, the other advisors including his uncle, Gladio, Cor, even Noct had been roused from his bed, which was usually no mean feat. All to deal with this.

There were around forty soldiers. Their once-white uniforms were now daubed grey and brown with dirt and blood. And... Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Regis had his head bowed toward hers as they talked, Noct hovering beside them. Ravus Nox Fleuret – bloodier and dirtier than the other soldiers combined – had his nostrils flared and his lips pursed. He always had looked like he was swallowing a live rat whenever they'd had the displeasure of dealing with him.

“Your majesty?” Ignis said, as Regis beckoned him.

“It's an ungodly hour,” Regis said. “Please, Ignis, show Ravus and Luna to a suite.”

###

“May I ask--?” Luna began. Ravus talked over her. “What will you do with our soldiers?”

Ignis was still off-kilter from his sudden awakening but he tried not to outwardly react to Ravus' rudeness. “We'll find them somewhere to sleep. I'm afraid we weren't expecting so many guests so their accommodation may not be overly luxurious but they'll be comfortable and well looked after.”

Ravus looked as sour as ever but he said nothing further. Luna clasped one of Ignis' hands in both of hers. “Thank you, Ignis. I know this is an unconventional visit--”

“It's the least they can do,” Ravus said.

No, the least they could do when a squadron of enemy soldiers and their commander showed up on their doorstep was to lock every one of them up. As far as anyone had been aware, the last vestiges of the Tenebraen resistance had fallen to Niflheim years ago and the main contingent of their army was firmly under Niflheim's thumb. Ravus was lucky he hadn't been cut down on sight.

Of course, Ignis said none of this. He simply showed them to their suite and opened the door for them. The suite was a particularly luxurious one with two separate bedrooms and a full kitchen, appointed in royal black and gold. Luna thanked him again. Ravus did not and closed the doors in his face.

###

Apparently the Tenebraens had surrendered, although Ravus certainly hadn't acted like it. Ignis woke to find himself relieved of his usual duties and tasked with attending to their – guests? Prisoners? – instead. He wasn't the only one unclear on what position their new arrivals held. There were guards assigned to them but for now they were being treated just as any foreign dignitaries would. Considerably better in the case of Ravus and Luna. Regis had instructed Ignis to serve them as he would Noct.

Which meant him wheeling a breakfast trolley to their suite. Noctis invited himself along to breakfast and because no one was quite sure whether they were dealing with allies or not, Gladio followed him. It was a good job that Ignis had anticipated exactly this and prepared enough food for all five of them.

“Noct...” Ignis said. Where to begin? He was aware that Noct and Luna exchanged letters, the contents of which Gladio would tease him about relentlessly. From what he'd seen of them, the letters were entirely chaste and completely appropriate for two childhood friends. However, this morning Noct's attire was noticeably different from his usual crumpled T-shirt and pair of trousers he'd picked up from his floor. He was wearing a black button down shirt and dress trousers, neither of which had any creases. Hitherto this moment, Ignis hadn't believed Noct knew what an iron was.

How to broach this subject? Luna was now a twenty-year-old woman and Noct was only sixteen. While he may not see any issue with that, she certainly would.

“Yeah?” Noct said.

“Never mind.” They already had quite enough to deal with.

When they arrived, there were raised voices in the suite beyond. They quieted very sharply when Ignis knocked. After a few moments of hurried whispering, Luna opened the door.

“Good morning Noct, Ignis, Gladiolus. What a pleasure to see you all.”

Ravus' face told a very different story. He hovered over her like a gargoyle.

“Iggy made breakfast,” Noct said with the same forced casualness as when he was inviting Prompto to the arcade, even though he moped relentlessly when Prompto was too busy to spend time with him. “Thought we could eat together.”

Luna moved aside to let them in, accidentally-on-purpose nudging Ravus with her elbow so that he moved aside too. Ignis wheeled in the trolley and set to uncovering it.

Considering the state they'd been in when they arrived, Ignis had arranged for a spare set if clothes brought up for each of them. The only thing at hand had been spare kingsglaive training uniforms. A black tank top, black sweatpants, and boots each. While Luna had changed into hers – Noct was dazzled by the sight of her in it – Ravus still wore his full and absolutely filthy uniform. There were slashes in it from where he must have caught glancing blows from a sword.

“If you set your things aside,” Ignis said. “I'll have them laundered.”

“So I can drape myself in Lucian colours?” Ravus said. “I think not.”

“You kowtowed to the Niffs in your own colours,” Gladio said.

He and Ravus looked at each other like two bucks sizing up their racks.

“Gladio,” Ignis said, before his boyfriend could cause a diplomatic incident. “Would you be a dear and start a pot of tea? The cupboards should be fully stocked.”

They glared at each other from across the room but Gladio started the tea and Ravus, to his surprise, helped Ignis set the table. He slammed into the seat beside Luna before Noct could claim it, and Ignis situated himself at her other side before he could head there. The table normally seated six so Noct contented himself with sitting opposite her.

Gladio poured tea into each of their cups. Ignis gave him a look that he hoped communicated exactly how upset he would be if he happened to scald Ravus. Thankfully, Gladio behaved himself. When he was finished pouring, he took the seat between Noct and Gladio, leaving an empty space beside Ravus.

Noct wasn't paying attention to any of this. He only had eyes for Luna. “Did you really steal a magitek dropship? That's badass!”

“She did,” Ravus said. “And your men nearly shot us down.”

Ravus gave a wince, such as might be caused by someone stamping hard on his in-step. Luna sipped her tea innocently. “Your soldiers were nothing but helpful when they realised we weren't magitek. They're truly a credit to their kingdom.”

Ravus huffed but refrained from any further comments.

“It's rather early for politics,” Ignis said, standing so he could ladle fresh fruit onto each of their plates from the large bowl in the centre of the table. Ravus hadn't touched his tea. It sat cooling in its glass cup. “Would you prefer coffee, Prince Ravus? Or another blend?”

“I-- No.” He took a drink from the cup, which looked tiny in his massive hands. He was as big as Gladio. “This is fine.”

The pancakes, cream, and heaps of fresh fruit were received well. Luna cooed about how light and fluffy the pancakes were and Ravus almost went cross-eyed trying to keep the sour expression on his face when he sampled them. Things even seemed to have cooled between Gladio and Ravus by the time they'd cleared their plates.

“I'm to show you both around,” Ignis said. _And entertain them_ , he'd been instructed. “Just for today while his majesty makes more permanent arrangements.”

He was expecting an objection, at least from Ravus' corner, but he and Luna both wore identical expressions of resolve.

“We have no loyalty to Niflheim,” Ravus said, after the silence had stretched on for too long.

“We know that!” Noct said.

But it was more complicated than that. While Noct would certainly like to believe it was true, the reality was that Tenebrae had been annexed for four years and Lucis had not been able to help them. Furthermore, Ravus had led the remnants of Tenebrae's army in skirmishes against Lucis. Small skirmishes, yes, but even those small skirmishes had their casualties. He was purportedly a formidable enemy. It may yet prove too good to be true that he'd simply surrendered.

“We've given your damned king information--” Ravus began.

Luna cut him off by raising a hand. “Ignis is right. Let's not ruin breakfast with politics. You said that you'd show us around, Ignis? That would be lovely. Neither of us have visited the citadel since we were children.”

###

Apparently Gladio and Noct thought the tour invitation extended to them too, despite having lived in the citadel their entire lives. Honestly. When Gladio and Ravus stood side by side, they blocked the narrower corridors. There were more guards around too. They maintained a respectful distance and their professional silence, but they watched every move Ravus made. If he noticed, he didn't show it. Instead he glowered at the floor like each tile had risen up and slapped him in the face.

Ignis showed Ravus and Luna the more public areas of the citadel. He started in the library, making sure to direct Luna to the vast section of books on Lucian healing magic, and Ravus their ever-growing collection of books on sword techniques. He glared at it. Ignis wondered if perhaps he thought he was being mocked, since they'd confiscated all of the Tenebraen army's weapons. But he gave the neighbouring section on tailoring the exact same look, so he supposed not.

The next stop was the crownsguard training hall which they'd seen only briefly the previous evening, and the quarters nearby where they'd housed the Tenebraen soldiers. Mostly to assure them they were not being mistreated. The soldiers certainly looked far more relaxed than when they'd arrived. They were nearly indistinguishable from the crownsguard, happily chatting and sharing breakfast with them.

Finally, he took them to the public gallery on the ground floor. This was far more Gladio's area of expertise than Ignis, so he allowed him to take the lead. Luna, at least, seemed interested in all of his talk of the techniques used for and leitmotifs in each painting. They wandered, with Noct trailing along behind, eyes already glazing over. Which left Ignis to babysit Ravus.

Who stopped abruptly in front of _Ifrit Tempts Mankind_. While Gladio had more of an artists' soul, Ignis was no slouch on art history. This particular piece had ended up in the possession of the crown one hundred and fifty years ago in a last ditch effort to protect it from censors. It depicted Ifrit lounging amongst a burning landscape in all his divine beauty. He was also very, very naked, one knee raised to display himself that much more lewdly. It was that which had gotten the censors in such a tizzy.

To Ignis' absolute astonishment, Ravus blushed.

“What are you showing my sister?” he said, tearing his gaze away from it.

Too polite to point out that Luna had seemed anything but perturbed by it, Ignis kept his expression neutral. “It's of great historical importance but it can be a bit much. I recall shielding Noct's eyes from it when we played here as children.”

The blush was still high on Ravus' cheekbones, a faint pink dusting on his very pale skin. It sat oddly with his bloody armour. “You are Prince Noct's advisor, are you not?”

“I am indeed.”

“Isn't playing maid, cook, and tour guide beneath your station?”

They'd both be highly disgruntled to know how much Ravus sounded like Gladio at that moment. “Deigning certain tasks beneath me would set a very poor example for him.”

“Hnf,” was all Ravus said to that. He moved along to something more suited to his tastes, averting his eyes from _Ifrit Tempts Mankind_.

###

Luna lit up at the sight of the citadel gardens and it wasn't until then that Ignis realised how reserved she'd been. She was politely interested in everything else he'd showed her, and listened attentively to Gladio when he'd got into a rant about how no one had a problem with the various nude depictions of the Glacian but had gotten their 'panties in a bunch' about 'the Infernian's red hot asshole', and Noct the several dozen times he'd told her about Prompto and how they should hang out together. All of that on a scant few hours of sleep.

The gardens revived her. She looked far more the oracle of legend now and Noct her devoted acolyte, both of them bright-eyed and laughing as they chatted among themselves. She crouched next to a bed of dahlias. Noct's besotted expression mirrored hers as she admired them.

Ravus followed a few paces behind them. It was hard to believe he and Luna had the same parents. Whereas she practically glowed with appreciation, he looked like he could wilt the entire garden with his glower alone.

Since Luna at least was content here, Ignis saw no reason to hurry them along. He sat on the memorial bench dedicated to King Mors' Shield, keeping one eye on Noct and the other on Ravus. Gladio took the seat beside him, stretching one arm out on the back of the bench behind Ignis' shoulders.

“Enjoying babysitting Prince Stick-up-his-Ass?” he said.

Ravus really did stand like the nickname Gladio had given him. They could straighten rulers on his spine. Which was a terribly immature thing for Ignis to think, so he didn't acknowledge it. “Try to be civil to him.”

“You'd know about it if I wasn't trying. You know I ain't here for fun, right?”

He couldn't imagine a scenario in which Gladio would find this situation fun. “Of course. You're Noct's Shield.”

“Yeah, and dad's worried Ravus is gonna assassinate him.”

“What?” It was at once completely unexpected and exceedingly, blindingly obvious. Of course. _Of course_. It would be a perfect ploy for Niflheim. Using their guilt over what had happened to Tenenbrae. Sending their former allies to them in apparent surrender. Using Luna, who Noct and Regis were sure to trust, to add verisimilitude to their plan. “Noct--!” They had to separate them. Keep Noct as far away from Ravus as possible. _Clap Ravus in irons until they knew exactly what he was up to._

The only thing that stopped Ignis from flinging himself off the bench was Gladio's hand gripping his biceps. “Relax, Iggy.”

How was he possibly supposed to relax when the prospect of Noct's assassination was battering the inside of his skull? “How? How can you relax either?”

“There's crownsguard ready to grab Ravus if he so much as looks at Noct funny, Ravus is unarmed, can't warp, and can't use anything like the armiger, we have Ravus' soldiers as leverage and Luna if it gets that bad, which it won't, plus we're here. The old man's just being paranoid.”

Clarus was not being paranoid. He was the absolutely correct level of concerned, unlike his son. “Why are we harbouring Ravus at all?” How could Regis be so foolish?

“You wanna kick him out? What if it's exactly what it looks like?”

Yes, he wanted to kick him out. Immediately. If the Empire captured him then that was all the better. Then there'd be no chance at all of him assassinating Noct. At least, those were his instinctive thoughts on the matter. His more sensible thoughts interjected that if they turned Ravus over, Luna would be very upset. Which would mean that Noct would be extremely upset. With Ignis personally, if he ever found out he'd been in favour of it.

“If it helps any,” Gladio said. “I don't think that's what he's got in mind. You think Luna would stand for him killing Noct?”

Ravus had barely acknowledged Noct, it was true. But that could all be a ruse. “Regardless, the safest option is to ensure that Ravus is nowhere near Noct.”

“You know that means either separating Noct from Luna or Luna from Ravus, right?”

Damn him, why wasn't he on board with this? He was supposed to be the Shield here. “Having a potential assassin in the same room as Noct is beyond foolishness.”

“Everyone who gets within two feet of Noct is a potential assassin. Hell, Prompto could flip out one day and brain him over a game of King's Knight. You can't say you haven't been tempted when he does that stupid fucking victory dance.”

“Gladio.”

“Iggy. You've gotta get more objective about to Noct. I'm not gonna let anything happen to him. Come on. We can keep a closer eye on him if you're that worried about it.”

Yes. A closer eye. A much closer eye. Ignis stood with the toes of his pointed shoes practically touching the heels of Ravus' boots. _Try assassinating anything like this, bastard._ Ravus half-turned, giving Ignis' proximity no more than a raised eyebrow.

To think Noctis actually used to admire him. He'd come back from Tenebrae mostly full of stories about Luna but with occasional mentions of her 'awesome older brother' who was 'almost as good with a sword as Gladio.' Ignis had been sworn to secrecy about how Noct had complimented Gladio.

“Iggy.” Gladio placed his hand on the small of Ignis' back and tucked Ignis into his side. He spoke into the shell of Ignis' ear. “Relax.”

It was brief. They hadn't exactly been keeping their relationship a secret but they both knew better than to indulge in elaborate public displays of affection. However, it wasn't so brief that Ravus missed it. His gaze flicked from the glancing touch to Ignis' lower back, to Gladio's lips intimately close to his ear.

The faint blush was back on his cheeks. He cleared his throat, then stamped over to the ornamental pond and made a show of examining the lotus blossoms.

“Huh,” Gladio said. “Looks like Ravus is just a repressed as he seems.”

###

What if Gladio was wrong? Then they were walking among the pretty flowers with Noct's future _murderer_. A murderer who blushed at any contact less chaste than standing at sniping distance but a murderer nonetheless. Perhaps Ignis could tempt Noct into a nap? He'd been trying to wean him off through-the-day naps since he spent quite enough time sleeping as it was but if it kept him away from Ravus, he could reschedule a few things.

Ignis would stay to keep an eye on Ravus and Gladio could guard Noct. It shouldn't be too difficult. Keeping Noct awake was the real challenge.

Luna made a high, surprised noise. It was nothing like the entire fields of sylleblossoms back in Tenebrae but the citadel garden had a small plot. Ignis had walked past them thousands of times and never lingered. They reminded him too much of the dried blue sprig on his father's jacket lapel, back when it wasn't risky to show Tenebraen heritage. One of the very few memories of his father he had.

“What is this?” Ravus said. “What is the meaning of this?”

He was looking not at the sylleblossoms but at the white marble obelisk nestled among them. Through familiarity it had become invisible to Ignis but right now, he read the writing on the silver plaque it bore. _In Memoriam: Sylva Via Fleuret._

“You dare--” Ravus choked out. “How dare you--”

“Ravus,” Luna said, reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder. “Please don't make a scene.”

Ravus shrugged her off. When he turned, his face was twisted into a snarl. He looked every bit as ragged as the slashes in his dirty overcoat. “How does Lucis explain this?” he addressed the question to Noct. “How can you possibly--?”

He took a step toward Noct, one hand raised. A half dozen crownsguard warped around him. Their weapons criss-crossed over Ravus until they made a makeshift cage. Gladio shoved Noct behind him, sword and shield at the ready. Ignis had stepped in front, both daggers in his hands. Luna interposed herself between them and Ravus, both arms outstretched to cover as much of his body as she possibly could. It all happened so quickly that Ravus' hand remained raised, curled into the gesture he'd intended to make.

Pointing. He was only pointing.

“You think I'd strike a child?” he said. “You Lucians think everyone as barbaric as you are.”


End file.
